Woman invented an insecurity about her nose to see how her date would react — 3 weeks later, one remark gave her the answer
Women are coming up with all kinds of checks to ensure the person they’re dating is genuine and not putting up a fake front. A TikTok user named Rachel Anderson, who goes by @noir_in_retrograde, shared her experience in a post dated September 9, 2026. She explained how she made up an insecurity about her nose while casually talking with her date. She had actually mentioned it to see how he would react or if he would bring it up later. Three weeks later, his one remark gave her all the clarity she needed.
Anderson told the man that she didn’t like how her nose looked and was conscious about her side profile. At the time, he didn’t say much. Three weeks later, while they were casually talking, she laughed about something, and he randomly leaned over, booped her nose, and said, “Your nose gets so big when you laugh. It’s so cute.” As she expected, he took her insecurity and validated it with his words. To make it worse, he framed it in a way that made him seem like he was doing her a favor by accepting her insecurity. According to Anderson, that single phrase gave the impression that the man wanted her to feel grateful that he loved her as she is. She even claimed that such statements make a person subconsciously doubt their own self-worth.
Several commenters revealed that they even pull off such tests to see the true colors of the person they’re with. @heart_captive said, “Fake a fear, insecurity, and allergy.” @ryant8186 added, “I just tried it. And now we wait.” @topofthehourconditioning remarked, “I’ve started doing it back,” and shared an example: “I love the way your arms are nice and thin, not too bulky.”
Adding to your insecurities or commenting negatively on your looks should be a deal-breaker when it comes to dating. No person deserves to be belittled under the guise of humor, societal expectations, or stereotypes. In another instance, a woman named Kelly decided to call out her partner after he expected her to make changes before meeting his parents for the first time. She assumed he’d ask her to not swear or make minor adjustments, but instead, he handed her a list of instructions that entirely altered her personality.
He first asked her to change the color of her hair. He said it was too bright, despite her being a gingerhead. He didn’t just ask her to get a makeover; he had specific instructions attached. Right from her clothes, nails, and eyebrows, everything had to be changed in only a certain manner. “My hands? They needed to be manicured. Tasteful though — no bright colors. Not too long but make them look ‘feminine.’” Eventually, Kelly decided that if her partner and his family could not accept her for who she is, she would not spend a lifetime pretending to be something she’s not. “The only thing that changed is my relationship status,” she remarked.
You can follow @noir_in_retrograde on TikTok for more stories.